Little Sefton at Long Melford

Last weekend was a very busy one – after being at Dereham on Saturday, we were at the Sudbury Club organised Charity Exhibition on Sunday. We took Grahams Little Sefton Layout after purchasing it off me a couple of weeks ago. We were still running my stock as Grahams had not been prepared yet.

The Exhibition was very busy, the ‘star of the show’ was Nigel Locke’s magnificent Long Melford Junction, but all layouts and displays were top class and much appreciated by the public. As the attendance was larger than expected, a special mention to the Catering Team who did superb work and kept us all fed and watered.

Farewell ‘Little Sefton’

Today I said farewell to my beloved O Gauge Layout Little Sefton. I have sold it to a member of our small group, Graham Minshull. Graham will take over the two booked Exhibitions for the layout this year at Bury St Eds and Long Melford. He will also be looking for more Exhibitions in 2025 when he has prepared some of his own stock, until then he will use mine.

I do not intend to replace Little Sefton with a like for like, but concentrate on my O Gauge 17′ Station Layout that I started in 2017 !!!! It has a decent size goods yard that will take my Ex Sefton Stock.

Graham and Shaun with Little Sefton a few year ago.

Bowford with Coaches

Had a little photo session this afternoon using Ian’s Locos with some of my weathered coaches. Basically it shows a local passenger train coming in and taking water before running around and also a parcels train getting ready to depart.

I may have one more session before the layout goes, running some of my weathered locos etc, albeit from a different region.

Bowford – Finished

Well, that’s it, I allowed myself five weeks from start to finish and I have taken one day over the allotted time. Having said the layout is finished, I still have two Locos and some wagons to weather, but they were not in the original plan.

The next job will be to move the layout to its new home with Ian T. and set it up, probably this week. It will then be back to weathering Locos only, although I have a OO layout to weather for another Mate, Ian H. and an O Gauge layout to help out with, this is making a concrete base at a cement factory, all the rest is already finished by my Mate Graham.

Bowford – nearly finished

Busy day today – I have added all signalling, point levers, yard crane, loading gauge and water column. this leaves just Yard Lamps and Station lamps which I am waiting for delivery. Vehicles and People are in the hands of Ian, I believe they have already been purchased.

And Finally the station name boards are made and are waiting for transfers to complete.

It will be ready by next week and should move to its new home during that week.

Bowford – Board 2 – Nearly there!

Been going as far as possible with board 2 today. All buildings, trees and bushes now glued down, only a yard crane, yard lamps, vehicles and staff to go on board two now. Board 1 also has all buildings etc glued down now and is only waiting for signals, water crane, station lamps, vehicles and people. I set myself five weeks to make this layout and I still have three days to go, whether I finish by then is down to Ebay items still to arrive.